ryuganji: film news from japan

Another Logboy find: Criterion are dipping into the oeuvre of bodybuilding ultrarightist homosexual author and playwright Mishima Yukio with two releases in June, one being Paul Schrader’s impressionistic biography “Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters” and the other Mishima’s own “Patriotism”, the only film he ever directed. Incidentally, the most recent film adaptation of his work was Yukisada Isao’s “Haru no Yuki” (titled “Snowy Love Fallin’ in Spring” in English, would you believe) in 2005, starring Tsumabuki Satoshi and Takeuchi Yuko. Details from Criterion’s homepage follow below.

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters

Synopsis:
Paul Schrader’s visually stunning, structurally audacious collagelike portrait of acclaimed Japanese author and playwright Mishima Yukio (played by Ogata Ken) investigates the inner turmoil and contradictions of a man who attempted an impossible harmony between self, art, and society. Taking place on Mishima’s last day, when he famously committed public seppuku (ritual suicide), the film is punctuated by extended flashbacks to the writer’s life as well as gloriously stylized evocations of his fictional works. With its rich cinematography by John Bailey, exquisite sets and costumes by Ishioka Eiko, and unforgettable, highly influential score by Philip Glass, Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters is a sincere tribute to its subject, and a bold, investigative work of art in its own right.

Special features:
* Director-approved special edition double-disc set features:
* New, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by director Paul Schrader and cinematographer John Bailey
* New audio commentary featuring Schrader and producer Alan Poul
* The Strange Case of Yukio Mishima, a 55-minute BBC documentary about the author
* New interviews with Donald Richie and John Nathan, collaborators and friends of Mishima Yukio
* New interviews with Bailey, producers Tom Luddy and Yamamoto Mata, composer Philip Glass, and production designer Ishioka Eiko
* A new audio interview with co-screenwriter Chieko Schrader
* A video interview excerpt featuring Mishima talking about writing
* Theatrical trailer
* New and improved English subtitle translation
* Plus: a booklet featuring a new essay by critic Kevin Jackson and a piece on the film’s censorship in Japan

Criterion Collection page

Patriotism

Synopsis:
Playwright and novelist Mishima Yukio predicted his own suicide with this ravishing short feature, his only foray into filmmaking (co-directed with Domoto Masaki), yet made with the expressiveness and confidence of a true cinema artist. All prints of Patriotism (Yukoku), which depicts the seppuku (ritual suicide) of a naval officer, were destroyed after Mishima’s death in 1970, though the negative was saved, and the film resurfaced thirty-five years later. New viewers will be stunned at the depth and clarity of Mishima’s vision, as well as his graphic depictions of sex and death. The film is presented here with a choice of Japanese or English intertitles.

Special features:
* New, restored high-definition digital transfer of the Japanese and English versions, with optional Japanese or English intertitles
* A 45-minute audio recording of Mishima speaking to the Foreign Correspondents’ Association of Japan
* A 45-minute making-of documentary, featuring crew from the film’s production
* Interview excerpts featuring Mishima discussing war and death
* New and improved English subtitle translation
* Plus: a new essay by renowned critic and historian Tony Rayns, Mishima’s original short story, and Mishima’s extensive notes on the film’s production

Criterion Collection page

Soka Gakkai International’s most prominent acquisition puts the moves on Kuriyama Chiaki in this commercial for Shiseido’s Uno brand, shot in what I think is Prague. The Mainichi has details here.

Kiriya Kazuaki and his “Goemon” team have wisely been putting a lot of effort into building early buzz via the film’s official homepage, and although principal photography and editing have already been completed, there’s still a ton of CG buffing and polishing to be done before its faraway release in 2009. This morning, visitors to the site were greeted with the following message in English:

Website renewal!

As many of you have already noticed, we have dramatically changed “GOEMON” official website today, the 15th of March. This is a start of the second season of GOEMON website. Regrettably, the relationship between you and us is merely one way communication in the season one. In the season two which starts today, we would like to powerup our communication functions. May we have your attention to the upper right corner of the front page. We are going to present a live chat show in a few days and a person whom everyone expects to see will appear on the screen.

Don’t miss it!

KEN (online promotion team)

Apart from copious production stills and videos, there’s now a live chat page which currently features the message “See you next time, good night”. Now this is how you promote a movie.

You might also want to check out this diary entry from Friday which shows a two-metre tall background mockup to be used for CG modelling. It gives you a wee idea of the look Kiriya’s going for, and of what certain characters will be blowing to pieces…

Courtesy of the boy who logs.

After his big-budget 2003 remake of Fukasaku Kinji’s “Samurai Resurrection” betrayed expectations and the subsequent Ishihara Pro-backed Nikkatsu crime drama “Lady Joker” made even less of an impact the following year, little was heard from filmmaker Hirayama Hideyuki apart from female friendship drama “Taigan no Kanojo” which was broadcast on satellite channel Wowow in January of 2006. This was all following a steady rise that began with his directorial debut in 1990, continued via the “Gakko no Kaidan” series of juvenile horror films, and culminated in a string of critically well-received works including 2003 Midnight Eye reader’s poll winner “A Laughing Frog” and touted Hollywood remake fodder “Turn” and “Out”. Although he’s never enjoyed outstanding commercial success, Hirayama has always maintained a reputation as a reliable helmer of comedy dramas and this was consolidated when he returned in 2007 with two more solid efforts, rakugo-themed ensemble piece “Talk, Talk, Talk” (Shaberedomo Shaberedomo) and supernaturally enhanced period buddy film “Three for the Road” (Yaji Kita Dochu: Teresuko).

Now the latter film is headed to DVD on May 23 in two versions, both with English subtitles; a no-frills package and a special edition featuring a disc with bonus features (presumably unsubbed), a 32-page photo book, a 56-page storyboard and script book, and a special case overseen by the film’s star, Kabuki veteran Nakamura Kanzaburo. I can’t vouch for the film personally as I regretably missed out on this one in theatres, but both Variety and GreenCine Daily had nothing but good things to say about it.

While I’m on the subject of DVDs, Logboy dropped me a line to point out that Animeigo are releasing the late Imamura Shohei’s 1983 Palme D’or winner “The Ballad of Narayama” in the U.S. on June 10th. HKFlix seem to be the only ones offering preorders right now. Tartan have already released Kinoshita Keisuke’s 1958 version on RO Pal.